How to Appreciate Nature in Lockdown
We can appreciate nature in a new enlightening way, here is how
It can be tough to take time to truly de-stress during lockdown when all we have is ever-worsening news around us and a virus that spreads. However, we must realise nature is there for us. No matter what.
So here’s how to appreciate nature in lockdown because we are:
“Wired by nature, changed by nature” — Dr Joe Dispenza
Go on a ten-minute walk first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening.
We forget that ten minutes is not so much time but can work wonders. A ten to fifteen-minute walk in nature can boost your well-being and relieve anxiety or stress. Research has proven it can help boost positive emotions and reduce stress, so what are you waiting for?
Your walk in nature will boost your immune system more if you become aware of your surroundings, so look around you, hear what’s there, see what’s there. In other words, become mindful. Therefore, the second thing on how to appreciate nature in lockdown is to:
Watch nature around you
“Stumble across serendipity. We all have an inherent need for beauty. Embrace it. Live it. Consider nature to be your friend in need- always there and ready to revive you in times of need.” — Chill Out and Cheer Up: A Ten-Step Guide, Grace Grossmann
When you watch nature around you, something happens within you — appreciation. We must all become more grateful for what we have and what is around us during this tough time. We forget. We become depressed. Simply by listing three things, your grateful for first thing in the morning can become enlightening and uplifting for the soul, body, mind.
How about trying to list three things you are grateful for during a walk outside? This can literally be anything from the birds tweeting to the sound of the wind in the trees. Become more aware and take care.
Lastly, how to appreciate nature in lockdown means to:
Be the onlooker and be present
Similarly to watching nature around you, become more present and still when in nature. This means put your phone away (unless you have to take a photo of a serene moment!) and be present.
Maybe even be mindful enough to leave your phone behind. I do this on my morning walks — I leave my phone behind and go outside with just me, myself, and I. I then stop for a few minutes to look around me and feel the presence soak in.
So there you have it — there is nothing to fear during this second lockdown because nature is your friend and can always be sought out for stress relief.
“Pay attention to what is around you, like the sky when it is so blue. Don’t hesitate to take heed in what you need, it doesn’t take much to be freed. Who cares for what you crave, make the best with what you save. Count your blessings daily, it’s for your sanity mainly. Concentrate on what you have and not what you don’t have, think of it like this: the less you wish, the more you cherish. Be grateful for your simple fairy tales and fall in love with the details.” — Chill Out and Cheer Up: A ten-step guide, Grace Grossmann